Becoming a P-O-P Star

While other companies are battening down the hatches during the current recession, print provider KDM P.O.P Solutions Group (www.kdmpop.com) in Cincinnati is growing by leaps and bounds—and it shows no signs of slowing the pace. Since August of 2007, just when the recession was beginning to rear its ugly head, KDM has acquired not one, not two, but three companies in different locations, all geared toward making the firm one of the top point-of-purchase solution providers in the country.

“We moved on these acquisitions because we wanted to offer a more comprehensive product line, increase sales, and eventually cross sell between one division and another,” explains Tom Kissel, KDM’s VP of purchasing. “The goal is to have more to offer in addition to our manufacturing flexibility and printing capabilities in the P-O-P market.”

And, Kissel continues, “KDM is actively seeking new opportunities that would add to and align with our strategic objective to double our size in the next five years. By reinvesting back into the company, we are able to provide our customers with exceptional customer service with each contact that is made. We’re strong in our marketplace and financially sound—probably some of the bigger reasons we can still acquire companies in today’s economy.”

Realizing the value of digital
Founded in 1970 by husband-and-wife team Bill and Mary Kissel, KDM initially focused on magnet printing and vacuum forming, and was small enough to fit into an 80-square-foot office space. When the company moved into screen printing and then offset, that small office expanded to take over the entire two-story building. Through the years, KDM continued to grow, moving to three other locations.

Fast forward to 1998: KDM relocates to a new home in the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale, then adds 55,000 square feet to its facility in 2000, resulting in a 155,000-square-foot headquarters. KDM—now owned by the next generation of Kissels (siblings Tom, Bob, and Brian Kissel, along with sister Kathy Kissel McQueen) —employs approximately 250 employees in various departments and functions, including: the executive team; sales; administrative; project management (customer service); estimating, prepress, and design; I.T.; digital printing department; offset and screen printing departments; kitting and finishing department; cutting department; staging and shipping; film making; screen recapture/washdown; screenmaking; and the samples department.